Chez Billy DC Restaurant Review

Overall Experience:

As with most of our dining experiences in DC we were led to Chez Billy through a online coupon (Gilt City this time). We had initially purchased 2 coupons to go skydiving but when the skydiving company turned out to be dodgy at best we decided to put safety first and turn in those vouchers for online coupon credits. So when I saw an offer for a 3 course price fixed meal with drinks included at a new posh restaurant in DC I jumped at the opportunity. Unfortunately, as with the skydiving offer we were let down with this one as well. Though the meal was off to a strong start, prompt service, fresh appetizers, it quickly spiraled down to flat out disappointing. Between the abysmally small portions and barely warm entrees we left dinner, hungry and craving some warm food. Considering the generally high prices, without the coupon we just would have felt plain out robbed of our money.

The restaurant is located in the Petworth neighborhood of DC and is without a doubt the most expensive place on the block. The area surrounding it is not one I would like to wander around by myself at night, but looks like it will be one of the “up and coming” neighborhoods in DC. With the price of an average entree coming in at $21 it’s not exactly budget friendly. I will say the interior has a warm, “woody” feel. As you walk in the restaurant the bar area opens up to you with a high ceiling, fitted with a sparkling chandelier. The dark wooden furnishing throughout creates a dark and romantic ambiance. The dining area is just past the bar room and continues upstairs, with an adjacent outdoor deck.

Unlike the other restaurants we’ve reviewed here, this is one we will NOT be returning to. If you’re still interested in checking it out I recommend trying out the happy hour first, with both food and drink specials it might be a better all around experience and bang for your buck. I hear the mussels should be quite good – don’t quote me on that though.

Restaurant Facts

Address: 3816 Georgia Ave, NW Washington DC 20011

Website: https://chezbilly.com/

Meal At A Glance:

What type of meal was it? Dinner

Itemized Bill: $65 pp (we only paid $23 a person) Gazpacho, Beef Terrine, Bouillabaisse, Roasted Chicken, Profiteroles, Olive Oil Cake, 4 glasses of wine, 2 champagne cocktails

Specifics

Quality: The appetizers, gazpacho and beef terrine were full of flavors and very well made. The entrees on the other hand, bouillabaisse and roasted chicken with summer vegetable medley were barely warm, with the vegetable medley actually cold. The entree portions were tiny with the bouillabaisse only containing one shrimp, a small piece of fish and two mussels. I would not recommend either entree. The desserts were better than the entrees with the profiteroles drizzled with a deep rich melted dark chocolate and the olive oil cake was soft with a delicate hint of lemon. Overall the food was mediocre but with the expensively prices entrees, the dinner meal ends up not being worth it.

Price: $$$$

Service: At first, service was great. The server was incredibly attentive and we had 3 maybe 4 people servicing the table. This was at 6:30pm however before the place got busy. As the night went on service started to get slower and slower, until around 8:00pm it was practically impossible to get a server’s attention to ask for the check.

Interior: The restaurant has a dark yet cozy feel. High ceilings and grandiose chandeliers with dark wood furnishings decorate the venue. With both upstairs and downstairs dinner seating the restaurant seats plenty. An outdoor deck equipped with tables and chairs is adjacent to the upstairs dining sections, but given DC’s recent heat wave it was completely empty.

Alcohol: Extensive cocktail and wine menu.

Entertainment: N/A

Location: Not one of the nicer neighborhoods in DC but there is the Georgia Ave Petworth Metro station a 2 minute walk away.

Miscellaneous:

Free: N/A

Would we go back?: NO!